Householder [Paperback]

Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2, 2004

Prem is a recently married teacher who is neither very good at teaching nor at being married. He is promised an ally against his wife Indu, whom he regards with varying degrees of irritation, when his mother comes to visit. He soon finds, though, that maternal interference is far from helpful, and he receives comfort from an entirely unexpected quarter - his wife - as he discovers through her the joys of being a 'settled husband and householder'. From every page rise the heat, the smells, the flashing iridescent colours and the ceaseless rhythms of Indian life. And such is the strength of Ruth Prawer Jhabvala's humourous and perceptive pen that this appealing tale of a young man trying to come to terms with marriage and maturity becomes more than a highly comic vignette of a particular society - it is also a reflection of a universal experience.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'A writer of genius ! a writer of world class -- a master storyteller' -- Sunday Times 'Her tussle with India is one of the richest treats of contemporary literature' -- Guardian

About the Author

Ruth Prawer Jhabvala was born in Germany of Polish parents and came to England in 1939 at the age of twelve. She graduated from Queen Mary College, London University, and married an architect. They lived in Delhi from 1951 to 1975. Since then they have divided their time between Delhi, New York and London.

Product Details

• Paperback: 138 pages
• Publisher: John Murray (August 2, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0719561930
• ISBN-13: 978-0719561931
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,567,511 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Innocence Gone, March 14, 2001

By 

Carol Mathis (California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Householder: A Novel (Paperback)

THE HOUSEHOLDER is one of Ruth Prawar Jhabvala's earlier efforts, and with her early novels AMRITA and THE NATURE OF PASSION, it is the story of an India that is no more.

Like India in 1960, Prem, the hero of THE HOUSEHOLDER, is young, idealistic--and in over his head. His family is growing, he is married to a woman he hardly knows, and his mother, whom he idealizes in many ways, is no longer the caretaker he once had. The carefree life of a dependent is to be given up for the responsibilities of a young adult--ready or not.

THE HOUSEHOLDER is on one level a comedy of manners, a fun and funny look at middle-class Indian life. On another level, it is a wonderful metaphor for a new republic's coming of age--and worth thinking about as India struggles with her current challenges.

5.0 out of 5 stars Gentle, funny, touching, March 12, 2010

By 

Jyotsna Sreenivasan "Gender Equality Bookstore" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Householder: A Novel (Paperback)

This is my favorite novel by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (although I haven't read all her works). The characters are realistic and engaging, and while the story is not terribly dramatic, I did want to know what happened to these characters. I read it many years ago and I still think of it fondly.

0 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Maybe I Missed the Point, December 27, 2005

By 

Neha Lehl (India) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Householder: A Novel (Paperback)

The Householder is by no means a boring book... nor is it an unitelligent one. It certainly studies the thought processes of its protagonist, Prem, deeply and acutely. Its light and entertaining in its own way.

However, I could not in the end understand what the story was all about, neither could I relate it to the present times. Perhaps it was a great story of its time, its just that its not so relevant any more.
Througout the book, the thought processes of Prem (a newly wed, newly independent, school teacher trying to establish his identity as a family man and a house holder) are studied. Its about his personal emotional and mental struggle over his new identity, no doubt the entire dicussion is light, funny and amusing but I don't think its a topic strong enough to read or write a whole book about

I look forward to watching the movie though, it sounds more impressive and entertaining than the book itself.

I have been a Jhabwala fan for a long time and have read and thoroughly enjoyed many of her books like Amrita, Poet and Dancer, In Search of Love and Beauty, The Nature of Passion etc. I really like her style of writing and the beautiful light hearted way in which she tells her stories simply yet involving intense characters. I haven't come across any other author who can tell stories in the same style as she can. This book stands no where near her other masterpieces. Or like I said earlier, maybe I just missed the point.